MLB Baseball Betting for July 5, 2016
It’s the day after the Fourth of July and we’ve got a full card of baseball action:
CINCINNATI REDS AT CHICAGO CUBS:
The Cincinnati Reds are an awful team and they’re basically in the wrong place at the wrong time as they continue their early week series with the Chicago Cubs. The Reds have lost 8 of 10 and have been flat out dominated by the Cubs this season. Actually, they’ve been flat out dominated by the Cubs for several seasons now. Chicago is 10-1 +10.4 units against the Reds this season, 23-7 +13 units against the Reds over the last two season and 31-18 +11.7 units over the Reds during the last three seasons.
As if this scenario could get worse than it already is the Cubs are in a foul mood after going through a rough stretch. Their four game losing streak–courtesy of a weekend sweep at the hands of the New York Mets–ended on Monday but they’ve still lost 6 of 10 and are actually feeling a bit of pressure from the rest of the teams in the NL Central. Chicago thumped Cincinnati 10-4 on Monday. The Cubs got a nice offensive boost from Jason Heyward batting in the #6 spot so manager Joe Maddon might be making some more lineup changes.
Maddon is in a pretty foul mood himself after he suffered a scare when Kris Bryant collided with Albert Almora Jr. trying to run him off of a fly ball. Fortunately, Bryant just suffered a leg bruise and should be ready to play on Tuesday. Almora knew he made a boo boo:
“I gave him 15,000 hugs and apologized each time. But he’s good, thank God.”
Maddon was still unhappy due to the two outfielders getting their signals crossed in the first place:
“I didn’t like it at all. We have to avoid that. When a player is camped (under the ball), there’s no need to run him off.”
Maddon was pleased with Monday’s starter, Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks pitched 5 1/3 innings of 4 hit baseball in his final start before the All Star Break. His last turn in the rotation will be skipped to give him some extra rest as Adam Warren will start on Wednesday to give Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and John Lackey extra rest before they make their final pre-All Star Game starts:
“I don’t think he can pitch any better than he is right now.”
Maddon did chide clueless sports media types that suggested that beating the bottom feeding Reds is ‘meaningless’:
“Hey, it’s better than not beating the Reds. They have no idea what it takes to win a major league baseball game. They have no concept, and I don’t expect them to.”
It should be more of the same on Tuesday. Chicago will start right hander John Lackey who has pitched well in 7 home starts (2.01 ERA, 1.013 WHIP) but hasn’t always gotten help from his teammates as they’ve lost 4 of his 7 starts. The Cubs’ bats should feast on struggling Cincy lefthander Brandon Finnegan (Cubs 18-8 against LHP this year). The Reds have lost 13 of Finnegan’s 17 starts including 7 of 9 on the road. They’ve also lost his last three starts with Finnegan putting up a pitiful 9.64 ERA.
BET CHICAGO CUBS -210 OVER CINCINNATI REDS
KANSAS CITY ROYALS AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS:
The Kansas City Royals will play the second game of their early week series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday and will be hoping for a better result than they got on Monday. Toronto got another nice pitching effort from Aaron Sanchez who won his 8th straight decision and the Blue Jays beat KC 6-2.
The big question for Tuesday: ‘Can the Jays finally win a game with R.A. Dickey on the mound at home?’ Dickey has been erratic at best this season but particularly at the Rogers Centre where Toronto is 0-8 in his starts. He’s got a 5.14 home ERA compared to a 4.21 overall ERA. He’ll be opposed by struggling Kansas City right hander Chris Young. The Royals have lost 5 of Young’s 6 road starts where he has a 8.52 ERA compared to a 6.71 ERA overall.
Dickey hasn’t been in great form this season but this is probably where he gets on the winning track at home. Young’s form recently (6.57 ERA and 1.784 WHIP in his last three games) and on the road this season makes him easy pickings for the Blue Jay bats. KC’s offense can’t match up (averaging just 3.2 runs per game away from home).
BET TORONTO BLUE JAYS -170 OVER KANSAS CITY ROYALS